House votes to link fate of 2 child sexual abuse bills

HARRISBURG (AP) — The Pennsylvania House is linking a pair of bills designed to address child sexual abuse so one can’t be approved while the other languishes without action.

The House voted unanimously Tuesday to keep a bill eliminating the statute of limitation for child sexual abuse crimes from taking effect before both legislative chambers have begun to move a related constitutional amendment.

The proposed change to the state constitution would allow a retroactive 2-year window for civil claims related to child sexual abuse that would otherwise be too old to pursue.

The amendment says both the House and Senate would need to pass the constitutional amendment once for the other bill to take effect.

Constitutional amendments must pass both chambers in two consecutive sessions before going to voters for a final OK.